I was alerted yesterday to a very sad news story in the local area, where a 13 year old boy was found dead a few hundred yards from his parent’s house. Allegedly, the boy was feeling pressure from school. I’m sure more will come out on this story, and it’s very sad for many, many reasons.
I’m reading comments online from parents in the area, and their responses. The general thing to do is to cuddle your kids extra close and perhaps have a conversation about mental health or school pressure or even suicide. Hover over them, realize how lucky you are, murmur how grateful you are that this didn’t happen to you.
But what are you, as a parent, going to do tomorrow, or next week, or next year?
So many times people respond inwardly to tragedy. I challenge you to respond outwardly. I challenge you to do more than just think about your own family, and your own kids. I challenge you to think about all of the parents who are grieving for children, and why. I challenge you to do something—anything—tomorrow, and next week, and next year.
Squeezing our kids tight and being grateful that they’re alive and safe is a great first step. It’s time we start putting our arms and actions around the community, too.